News – U.S. National

No Depression Magazine to Cease Publication This Spring

No Depression, which billed itself as "The Last Alt. Country (Whatever That Is) Bimonthly," will cease publication with its 75th issue in May-June. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Folk Alliance Awards Presented in Memphis

Winners of the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards were recognized during an awards ceremony on the opening night of the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference that drew nearly 2,000 people to Memphis, Tennessee, February 20-24. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Pete Seeger: The Power of Song Airs on PBS, Feb. 27

The first authorized biography of Pete Seeger will air on PBS television stations, February 27. Entitled Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, the documentary by three-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jim Brown is part of the American Masters series of primetime specials delving into the lives, works and creative processes of some of our cultural icons. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Grammy Award Winners Named

Winners in the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy, were announced both prior to and during ceremonies in Los Angeles on February 10. [To see a list of winners in categories of interest to acoustic music fans, click on the headline.]

Folk Alliance Awards to be Presented Feb. 20

Balloting in the Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards ended on Friday, Jan. 25. The award winners in more than a dozen categories will be named during a Feb. 20 awards program on the opening night of the 20th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tennessee that runs through Feb. 24. The awards program will be broadcast live over XM Satellite Radio. A listing of the nominees in 11 categories appears below. In addition to these categories, in which votes were cast by Folk Alliance members, Song of the Year and Album of the Year awards will be presented based on airplay reports. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

John Stewart, 1939-2008

John StewartSinger-Songwriter John Stewart, best known for his seven-year stint with the Kingston Trio and for penning the hit song “Daydream Believer," has died at the age of 68.  With his family by his side, Stewart passed away on Jan 19 at the same San Diego, California hospital at which he was born. 

[To read the entire article, click on the headline].

MaineFolkMusic.com Launched

Maintaining that “there are many, many folk music fans in Maine who would like an easier, more focused resource for keeping track of local artists,” Bob McKillop launched MaineFolkMusic.com on Jan. 16. McKillop – a musician, songwriter, music journalist, open mic host and entrepreneur from Portland – describes the site as “Maine’s folk music homepage” and says it is devoted to the state’s acoustic musicians, as well as touring folk artists who perform in Maine. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].

World Folk Music Association to Pay Tribute to Tommy Makem

The World Folk Music Association’s 23rd annual benefit concert is slated for Jan. 19, 2008 at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center on Northern Virginia Community College’s Alexandria campus. Benefit tickets are priced at $40-$90. Performers will include Liam Clancy, Danny Doyle, Hot Soup!, The Makem & Spain Brothers, Modern Man, Schooner Fare, The Shaw Brothers, Side by Side, Jack Williams, Bethany Yarrow & Rufus Cappadocia, among others. Special tribute will be paid to Tommy Makem, the singer-songwriter widely regarded as the godfather of Irish folk music, who passed away earlier this year. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].

“In Woody’s Words” to Highlight Philadelphia Folksong Society’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, December 16

The Philadelphia Folksong Society, a not-for-profit educational organization best known for presenting the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival each summer since 1962, will premiere “new” Woody Guthrie songs to help celebrate its 50th anniversary and pay tribute to the Guthrie family and the Woody Guthrie Archives for enriching America with the songs and spirit of Woody Guthrie. Branded as “In Woody’s Words,” the historic four-hour event is set for Sunday, Dec. 16, at Philadelphia’s World Café Live. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].

Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music Turns 50 on Dec. 1

On December 1, 1957,Chicago’s now legendary Old Town School of Folk Music opened its doors... Although the Old Town School of Folk Music has long since vacated its original space on West Ninth Avenue, it has maintained its philosophy that music is for everyone, where, as Frank Hamilton envisioned, “teacher and students would be partners in learning.” Today, the Old Town School of Folk Music enrolls nearly 6,000 students a week in its tuition program of classes and workshops -- some 2,700 of them children -- from various cultures and traditions , who come together to create music and learn from each other. Internationally known touring artists, local artists and the school’s own staff and students stage live...

Americana Music Festival & Conference Returns to Nashville

To kick off its 8th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville, Tennessee (Oct. 31-Nov. 3), the Americana Music Association, in conjunction with Great American Country, has slated a free, family-friendly opening night party at the Tennessee State Museum. Set for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and open to the public, it will feature a special musical salute to Country Music Hall of Famer and multiple Grammy-winner Porter Wagoner. Among the artists expected to perform in honor of the 80 year-old ‘Wagonmaster’ are Rodney Crowell, Jim Lauderdale and Buddy Miller... Some 1,000 artists, label executives, managers, agents, music publishers, performing rights society executives, music retailers, producers, promoters, allied professionals and music journalists are expected to converge on Nashville...

Crooked Still Announces Change in Lineup

Rushad Eggleston, the inventive 28-year-old cellist with Crooked Still, will play his last show with the popular alternative bluegrass band at The Iron Horse in Northampton, Massachusetts, on Nov. 18. The 2003 Berklee College of Music graduate and Grammy nominee, whose improvisational riffs on the cello have played an integral role in helping Crooked Still bend the boundaries of traditional music since its inception in the summer of 2001, is being replaced by multi-instrumentalist Tristan Clarridge. Young old-time fiddler Brittany Haas is also joining the band. [To read the entire article, click on the headline].